OXFORD TOWNSHIP, Mich. – An Oxford Township man who shot and killed a father he didn’t know in his apartment complex because he thought the man had sent him a threatening text has been charged with murder, officials said.
Marcus Anthony Nathan, 36, of Oxford Township, has officially been charged in connection with the death of Dennis Kirby Kendrick, 54.
Fatal shooting
Police said Kendrick was inside his vehicle around 3:30 a.m. Wednesday (April 20) in the parking lot of the Abby Ridge Apartment Homes on East Market Street in Oxford Township.
Kendrick was preparing to leave for work when he was confronted by Nathan, according to authorities. Officials said Nathan had been walking around the complex parking lot, searching for someone he claimed had threatened him.
Nathan saw Kendrick in the car and decided he was responsible for the threatening text, police said. Nathan shot Kendrick multiple times with a 9 mm handgun from close range, according to officials.
“He received what he perceived was a threatening message and tried to figure out who it may have come from,” Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said. “He began walking around the complex and found this person in their car.”
Police said Nathan called 911 and reported the death, saying he had been threatened in a text message.
The Oakland County Sheriff’s Office said Nathan had received a threatening text message, but it wasn’t from Kendrick.
Officials pronounced Kendrick dead at the scene and recovered six spent shell casings, they said. Kendrick was the father of a 15-year-old boy.
“This completely unnecessary and very tragic death should have never happened,” Bouchard said. “The suspect randomly concluded a completely innocent man had threatened him and then murdered him. It is unjustifiable in any terms.”
Nathan has a valid concealed pistol license, according to deputies.
Charges
Nathan was arraigned Friday on charges of open murder and possession of a firearm in the commission of a felony.
He is being held without bond at the Oakland County Jail.
A probable cause conference is scheduled for May 5.
Kendrick’s son attends Oxford High School
Kendrick’s 15-year-old son, Kamari Kendrick, is a student-athlete at Oxford High School, police said.
Dennis Kendrick served in the Army, worked as a machinist, and was raising Kamari on his own, according to family members.
Local 4 spoke to Kendrick’s three sisters Wednesday night, and they said he had 10 nieces and nephews he adored.
“He went to work at 4 a.m. every single day because he wanted to be home to watch his son’s games,” Lori Hamilton said.
Hamilton said Kamari was in the hallway of Oxford High School during the shooting that left four dead and seven others injured.
“To turn around a couple of months later to deal with this, I can’t even deal with it,” Hamilton said.
“The tragedy of the situation is magnified by the fact that the victim leaves a young son, a student of Oxford High School, who has already gone through enough trauma for a lifetime,” Bouchard said. “It is appropriate the shooter should be held fully accountable.”
The Oxford community has set up a GoFundMe account for Kamari.
